


we found wonderland

by MajorinMonster



Series: heavy lies the crown [3]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gen, clarke learns to swim, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 22:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3586530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MajorinMonster/pseuds/MajorinMonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Why are we doing this again?” Clarke frowned, studying the ground for a moment before carefully taking the next step.</p>
<p>Or, the one in which Clarke decides she does NOT like the water.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we found wonderland

**Author's Note:**

> Once again I can be found at http://bisexualclarkgriffin.tumblr.com/ if you wanna talk headcanons or whatever. This is a bit of fluff because I think we all need it haha, hope you enjoy, let me know if you want more or if this should be the end of the series.

“Why are we doing this again?” Clarke frowned, studying the ground for a moment before carefully taking the next step. Her bare toes wiggled against the cold, wet stone and she made an uncomfortable face when her big toe ground against a particularly slimy piece of moss.

“You cannot avoid water on the ground,” Lexa crossed her arms and tried not to smile, “It is everywhere. And you never know when you will need to swim. Think of Pauna, what if she had cornered us with our backs to an open river?” The sun shone down on her face, her curls braid free for once, framing her face as she watched Clarke struggle with where to place her foot next. They’d been at this for at least an hour, Clarke walking back and forth over the stepping stones that stood in the river while Lexa watched with the odd comment or tip on how to improve her posture and balance. Before this they’d been in another part of the river, further upstream where it was mostly shallow. Lexa had, once again, been trying to teach her how to swim.

“Alright, swimming, I agree, it makes sense. But this isn’t swimming, this is...what is this? Stone hopping?” Clarke wobbled precariously, arms windmilling until she caught her balance. She looked up at Lexa, standing against the backdrop of a dark forest and looking as normal as she’d ever seen her without her battle gear or braids. It was quiet, the only sounds other than the two girls were the birds and the wind rustling the leaves in the trees that surrounded them. Lexa had told her that this was one of the places she had come as a child, where she herself had learned the same lessons she was intent on teaching Clarke. Clarke thought, at times, that it was less about teaching her lessons and more about distracting her so that she didn’t fall into bed and stay there again for days.

“Some of the smaller rivers have stepping stones such as this, if you are running for your life it is faster to run on stones than through water. You need to be quick,” Lexa crouched for a second and the next thing Clarke knew there was a stick flying towards her face, she ducked on instinct, watching as it smacked into the clear blue water, sinking fast through the few meters of water before hitting the river bed. She turned to glare at the stick throwing culprit herself.

“ _Lexa_!”

“You need to be prepared for surprises,” Lexa’s mouth twitched and Clarke’s eyes narrowed. This was the third time they’d been out by the river, and the first time Lexa had been anything but serious.

“You’re totally messing with me right now aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Lexa smiled openly now, “These things are important, true, but even leaders want to have fun sometimes, and with the Mountain Men dead this is the perfect time,” She winced then, realising what she’d said, “I didn’t-”

“No, it’s... fine,” Clarke cleared her throat, keeping her eyes on the stones below her so she wouldn’t have to meet Lexa’s gaze, “They hunted your people for a long time, you’re allowed to be relieved that it’s over now,”

“Yes, well, regardless of that I should still keep your feelings in mind,”

“Heda Lexa?” Clarke blinked dramatically, hand flying to her chest in mock surprise, “Talking about _feelings_?” Lexa threw another stick at her. She was prepared this time though and she caught it midair, twisting around and launching it back at the other girl. She wasn’t really expecting it to hit, she’d seen Lexa move in battle after all, she was all grace and violence. So she was surprised when it hit Lexa smack in the middle of the forehead. They both froze, identical expressions of shock written on their faces.

“...You started it?” Clarke winced, her eyes widening even more when Lexa started stripping out of the clothes she was wearing, “Lexa think about this, do you really want to-” But Lexa was already running full tilt towards the river, feet finding the stones in the water as easily as they found solid ground and before Clarke knew it Lexa had thrown herself bodily at her and pushed them both into the water.

The shock of cold hit her hard. Although Lexa had made good headway in teaching her how to swim Clarke always panicked a bit when her head was underwater fully, it was like being in another world entirely. Another world where she couldn’t see clearly or breathe. It reminded her a bit of watching people get floated on the Ark, and that of course, was never a happy comparison to make. They couldn’t have been under the water for more than a few seconds though, before Lexa was hauling her to the surface, wet hair clinging to her face and the biggest smile Clarke had ever see her wear right there on her lips. They were close, faces only inches apart as Lexa kept them afloat, Clarke’s body pressed close enough to her’s that her body heat stole some of the chill from Clarke’s skin. There was a crackle of energy in the air that had been missing since Lexa had left her on Mount Weather and the butterflies in Clarke’s stomach kicked it up a notch in an entirely good way.

“Hi,” Clarke said.

“Hi,” Lexa’s eyes darted to Clarke’s lips for a split second and Clarke shuddered slightly, biting her bottom lip and wondering if she should feel this smug when Lexa’s eyes darted down again. She was two seconds away from giving in and leaning forward to press her lips against Lexa’s when Lexa’s eyes drifted over her shoulder and widened. Her grip on Clarke tightened and she started dragging them both to shore as fast as possible. Clarke chanced a look behind her, heart picking up it’s tempo when she recognised the long, streamlined creature moving through the water behind them. Lexa was moving them as fast as possible, half dragging her underwater several times in an effort to push against the bottom of the river and move towards shore faster.

“Lexa!” She gasped, coughing out water as they surfaced again. The thrashing behind them was getting closer and louder and suddenly all Clarke could think of was that she wasn’t ready to die.

“I know,” Lexa grunted, fingernails digging sharply into Clarke’s side. The rocks at the shallow end of the water were in sight now, and Clarke had never been so thankful for being slow on the stepping stones, otherwise she might have been even closer to the middle of the river where the giant water snake had apparently been waiting for them.

They made it to shore just in time, the jaws of the snake snapping shut on empty air as Lexa finished yanking Clarke into the shallows by the arm, until they were safe where the water wasn’t deep enough for the snake to follow them. It thrashed harder for a moment, sending waves of cold water splashing against their faces, like that would win it it’s breakfast, before slithering away. The water was clear enough that if Clarke focused hard she could see it moving near the bottom of the river, like it was biding it’s time and waiting for the perfect moment to try again.

Lexa had collapsed, out of breathe, water sloshing around her hips as she leant back against the rocks. She must have been uncomfortable but she didn’t move, half pinned by Clarke’s upper body, arms still wrapped around the other girl like they were locked there.

“It’s moments like this,” Clarke announced, wiggling her toes to make sure they were all still there, “That make me miss being in Space. I mean sure there was the lack of oxygen and the repetitive views and the food _really_ wasn’t that great when rations were running low, but hey, there was also a distinct lack of giant man-eating snakes. So, you know, thats always a plus,”

“Clarke?”

“Yes?”

“Be quiet.”


End file.
